Centre to set up steel silos to store rice for a longer period

11 Dec 2021 CW Team

The central government will set up steel silos of 11 million tonne (mt) to store rice for one-two years longer and avoid cereal wastage without waiting for the result of a pilot project.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) discussed this issue with the Food Minister during a video conference. The Managing Director of Lotus Harvestec Private Limited, Munishwar Vasudeva, said that initially, a minimum five mt capacity would be set to store rice.

These steel silos will be set up across 13 states in about 250 sites, with 5,000 tonne capacity. Vasudeva said that during the first phase, 45-47 site locations would be identified to set up these silos by December.

According to a statement, FCI has given a target to set up rice silos of 1.25 lakh tonne capacity, while the state has a target of 7.5 lakh tonne capacity.

Its pilot project is being executed by the National Collateral Management Services Limited (NMCL) at Kaimur and Buxar in Bihar. According to this, FCI is setting up joint wheat and rice silo complexes with 50,000 tonne capacity.

Both the sites will have three wheat silos of 12,500 tonne capacity each and four rice silos of 3,125 tonne capacity each. FCI will import wheat from other regions for distribution there, and rice will be procured locally and stored before use.

FCI has constructed 5.5 lakh tonne of wheat silos, while the target is to store 10 mt of wheat on a build, own and operate basis under private-public partnerships (PPPs). From this, FCI will own 2.9 mt, states will own 6.85 mt and the rest to the Central Warehousing Corporation.

FCI has received a recommendation from the panel to construct flat bottom silos, which will cost less and be easy to operate and maintain. It will cost 1.4 times the cost of constructing a wheat silo. Rice silos will cost more and additional cost for chilling the towers and providing more space.

Image Source

Also read: Steel demand in various industry sectors falls 5% in FY21

Resources

04 Jun 2026

ULCCS Showcases Cooperative Model at UN Symposium

Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS) showcased its community-led development model at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where it participated as a panellist at the International Symposium on Cooperative Financial Institutions held on 28–29 May 2026.Jointly organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the International Cooperative Banking Association (ICBA), and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the symposium was held under the theme ‘Fuelling Inclusive and Equitable Growth’ and brought together policymakers,..

Delhi Airport to Finalise 20-Year Master Plan

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) is finalising a 20-year master plan to guide long term infrastructure and operational development at Indira Gandhi International Airport, an official said. The operator expects the plan to reflect changes in the airline industry, shifts in the competitive landscape and evolving infrastructure requirements across terminals, airside and support services. The official said the document is likely to be ready in the next two to two-and-a-half months as the operator moves through planning stages. The plan will be prepared after consultations with airport users ..

Aadhar Housing Finance Targets Rs 500 bn AUM By FY29

Aadhar Housing Finance has set a target to raise its asset under management to Rs 500 billion (bn) by the end of FY29, aiming to achieve this over the next three financial years through an 18-20 per cent loan growth trajectory. The firm focuses on the low-income segment with a ticket size of less than Rs 1.5 million (mn) and has relied on that segment to drive expansion. The company closed FY26 with an AUM of Rs 305.71 bn, reflecting the expansion in recent years, and it reported a net profit rise of 22 per cent to Rs 11.08 bn. Management indicated that gross non-performing assets stood at 1.0..